Ernie Renzel was a wholesale grocer when he negotiated the purchase of 483 acres from the Crocker family. Over almost thirty years, throughout his reign as mayor of San Jose, Mr. Renzel became an instrumental figure in the development of the San Jose Municipal Airport. By 1965 the airport sported a runway, hangars, office building, its first terminal, and had been used regularly as a pilot training school.

In the 1980s, San Jose Municipal Airport became one of the first to participate in the United States’ noise regulation program by creating a pilot study concerning residential sound insulation. The study resulted in the creation of methods residential neighborhoods near airports could implement in order to reduce the amount of noise pollution they experienced from the constant flow of air traffic. Today the airport services about eight million passengers per year thanks to numerous additions and expansions over the last couple of decades.

San José International Airport Car Rentals…

Being one of the busier airports in the U.S., San José International hosts eleven different car rental agencies including Alamo, Avis, Advantage, Budget, Dollar Enterprise, Fox, Hertz, National, Payless, and Thrifty. All eleven are conveniently placed together at the Rental Car Center. To reach the Rental Car Center from Terminal B you simply walk across Airport Drive from the baggage claim area. To get to the Rental Car Center from Terminal A, you’ll have to take the blue airport shuttle bus (see picture above).

While they are all together, their hours of operation differ quite a bit. You may want to arrange your arrival time around the operating hours of the rental company you wish to work with.

Once you have your vehicle, you’re ready to head off towards your ultimate destination. If your destination is San José then you’re pretty much already where you want to be. To get downtown from the Rental Car Center you need to veer onto Airport Blvd while watching overhead for dark-blue signs directing you to Highway 87. The taxi road will circle back to the left, continue watching for overhead signage. Stay right and exit onto 87 towards the downtown area. Highway 87 will take you almost all the way to the center.

San Jose Airport to Santa Clara Directions...

If you’re looking to get to Santa Clara, follow the signage that directs you to 880. Once you merge into 880, you’ll drive less than a mile. Take a right turn onto 82 and drive into the Santa Clara area.

San Jose Airport to San Francisco Directions...

If your true destination is San Franscisco, then you have a bit of a drive ahead of you. It’s quite an easy drive though. All you have to do is follow the first couple directions I gave you above, but take a left onto the Bayshore Freeway instead of a right. Then all you have to do is follow the road until you reach the heart of downtown San Fransciso. You’ll actually pass close by San Francisco International Airport along the way.

San Jose Car Rental Return...

Regardless of what town you're returning your vehicle from, you'll enter the airport are via Route 87, or Guadalupe Pkwy. You will see the big, gray Car Rental Center as you enter. The large building will have pictures of out-reached hands all over the exterior. Follow the car rental return signs directing you into the building.

There are three gas stations quite close to the airport. The first can be found turning off of Airport Parkway and onto Technology Drive. The second can be found by turning off of Airport Parkway and onto Matrix Blvd or by turning off of E Brokaw Rd and onto N 1st St. Lastly, if you simply drive down Airport Parkway going away from the airport, or E Brokaw Rd going towards the airport, you’ll see a gas station at the same corner you would use to turn down N 1st St. There are plenty of choices, so you really shouldn’t have a problem filling your vehicle before returning it.

Car Rental Options at San José International Airport…

The car rental options offered to you are pretty standard for a bustling metropolitan area, meaning you can get just about anything you want within reason. With more than eight million passengers annually, the car rental companies operating within San José International keep a laundry list of vehicles in an attempt to fit every visitor’s needs. SUVs, two-door coups, 7-passenger and 9-passenger minivans, luxury vehicles, four door sedans … you name something under fifty thousand dollars and you should be able to rent it. Although, you’ll probably want to make a reservation just to be sure you get the car you want.

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